Turnbull addresses his departure as PM

The West Australian

VideoWATCH: In his first major media appearance since being discarded as Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull says he can't answer why he's no longer in charge, only the people who engineered the coup can.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says he did not engineer the coup that brought down Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister, but has been transparent about his contribution to it.

“It was in the interest of the country, the government and the Liberal Party for the issue of the leadership of the Liberal Party to be resolved with more certainty before we left that week,” the senator told Sky News on Friday.

“I certainly believe that I was publicly accountable for my actions in what was a very difficult week.”

Asked whether others should have offered more of an explanation for that week’s events, the senator said he would let them speak for themselves.

Mr Turnbull has also said those who helped roll him might have been worried he would win the next federal election, with the overthrow coming despite internal polling showing the government leading in marginal seats.

“We were doing the best we had done since the 2016 election, as it happened,” he told ABC’s Q&A program on Thursday.

“Maybe they were worried we’d win the election. Maybe they were not worried we’d lose it - maybe they were worried we’d win it.”

But Mr Turnbull believes Prime Minister Scott Morrison when he says he wasn’t involved in the coup.

Despite saying he didn’t watch Mr Turnbull’s appearance on television, Mr Pyne said he had done a “great job” and that he spoke to him afterwards.

“He’s a friend of mine, so I asked him how it went. We texted each other and he’s entitled to have his views about things,” he said.